Marietta Historic Site & Museum presents: Marietta’s Winter Holiday Celebration
Looking for a holiday family event? Well, we have the event for you! Visit Marietta Historic Site & Museum during December for Marietta’s Winter Holiday Celebration, December 3–31, 2026, Thursdays through Sundays, 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. We will be closed on Dec. 25, 2026. It is free to visit Marietta in December. All ages are welcome. Families are encouraged to attend. Visitors can explore this year’s décor, featuring a new display of lavish Victorian decorations and food in the dining room and open-hearth kitchen. Guides will share stories about enslaved cooks, Maria and Serena, who prepared the annual holiday foods at Marietta. Visitors can also see the fireplace roasting tools and hear how traditional meats were roasted on a spit and how soups were cooked in spider pots. Hear how Jim, the enslaved butler, prepared the house for winter, including chopping the firewood for the many fireplaces, and how Randolph warmed the carriages for winter travel. Walk through the formal parlor to see period-inspired decorations used to decorate the tree while learning more about the enslaved Duckett and Brown families who were enslaved at Marietta, who not only witnessed Duvall’s lavish holiday traditions but also made their own family traditions. This year’s holiday celebration will also feature a Kwanzaa Room, illustrating a newer holiday tradition. After the tour, visitors can make holiday greeting cards to take home. Visitors may register for a specific day and time by visiting www.pgparksdirect.com. Walk-ins are welcome.
For more information, please call 301-464-5291 or email mariettahouse@pgparks.com. Marietta Historic Site & Museum is located at 5626 Bell Station Road, Glenn Dale, MD, and is a property of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.